Photo: YouTube/Nissan Motor Co
tech

Nissan develops golf ball that automatically finds the hole every time

19 Comments
By SoraNews24

For many people the game of golf is a great source of relaxation and entertainment. Here is a little gadget developed by Japanese automaker Nissan: The ProPilot Golf Ball.

As the four-year-old in the video demonstrates, no matter where and how someone putts the ball on the green, it will automatically take control of its own course and go into the hole. What a time to be alive!

When Nissan unveiled the ProPilot Golf Ball on Aug 22, it piqued the interest of many.

“Oh, very interesting.”

“It’s especially good that hitting it with the golf club doesn’t damage the mechanism.”

“This might change golf as we know it.”

“Doesn’t Everybody’s Golf (aka Hot Shots Golf) already have this feature?”

“This is like the AlphaGo of the golf world.”

“I think it would be really relaxing to have the ball always go in no matter where you putt it from.”

“They ripped off Sphero.”

Sphero is a similar high-tech moving ball developed years ago by an American company of the same name. In the following promotional video, a Sphero can also be seen finding its way into the cup of a golf course.

However, Sphero is steered by the user via smartphone. The ProPilot Golf Ball, on the other hand, drives itself. It simply needs to be told to go into the hole, then an external camera locates its position on the green and a route to the hole is constantly updated and uploaded to the ball wirelessly.

Then all it needs to do is drive itself according to the uploaded directions until it reaches its destination.

While its applications for cheating are indeed wonderful, the real reason for this invention is to demonstrate Nissan’s ProPilot 2.0 driver support technology. Included in the upcoming line of Skyline cars, ProPilot 2.0 uses the same system to help drivers reach their destinations using map data, cameras, and radar to navigate both roads and traffic.

Sources: CNET Japan, Hachima Kiko

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Japanese grandpa swings golf club so hard it sets field alight, onlookers yell “fire” not “fore”

-- Nissan unveils the world’s first “Intelligent Parking Chair”【Video】

-- Fear and murder plague Western Japan golf courses over a checkbox on application forms

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

19 Comments
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What's the use of playing Golf then? Even babies will be putting alongside their moms.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

What's the use of playing Golf then? Even babies will be putting alongside their moms.

It's just a clever technology demonstrator for their auto-driving car tech.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Following the order from PM Abe.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

While its applications for cheating are indeed wonderful, the real reason for this invention is to demonstrate Nissan’s ProPilot 2.0 driver support technology

Choosing to apply it to a golf ball defeats the purpose of the technology and golf. The reason being is that they have always had radio controlled balls. Also, this article makes you think the focus was on Golf when that only encompassed 8 seconds of a 3 minute video. Also, remotely controlling an actual car and remote controlling a small ball are vastly different things. This video wouldn't let me believe that remotely controlling my car was right around the corner.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I don't think that these balls would be allowed in any kind of serious play.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Wait until that tech gets into Japanese missiles.

China will be crapping their pants, just like a chicken when it sees a fox.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

^ Aren't most missiles already equipped with those? Even those civilian GPS drones can have their flight paths set before launch.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Oh come on... it if was demonstrating the auto-drive, why not add a few obstacles in the way. Now that'd be way more convincing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think a lot of you have completely missed the point of the demonstration. There is no controlling of the ball or programming it's path. The software in the ball is told only to go to the hole. The ball is finding its own path there. That's the impressive part, especially when applied to full size automobiles.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Try that with a cue ball at the local billiard parlor and you just might get your thumbs broken

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The ball is finding its own path there.

No : "an external camera locates its position on the green and a route to the hole is constantly updated ". The vacuum cleaner is smarter as it finds its way back to the deck.

That's the impressive part, especially when applied to full size automobiles.

Cars are not on an empty green but in town. The camera would see all obstacles in a busy street ?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Everybody will win golf games.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No : "an external camera locates its position on the green and a route to the hole is constantly updated ". The vacuum cleaner is smarter as it finds its way back to the deck.

Yes, the route to the hole is constantly updated by the onboard software. The ball is not receiving any external input, it is finding its own path to the hole. If external input was telling it where to go, what would be the point of the camera locating the hole...? What part are you missing?

A Roomba vacuum is programmed where it's dock is and simply maps obstacles and returns to it's start point. It doesn't 'see' anything. Definitely not smarter.

That's the impressive part, especially when applied to full size automobiles.

Cars are not on an empty green but in town. The camera would see all obstacles in a busy street ?

Actually yes, that's the whole point. Did you even read the article?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sorry, forgot to add the external camera is part of the autodrive system. It is still acting on it's own, not controlled by anyone.

Really would like an edit function...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

how much and how do I order?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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